Before the Beginning
by bingblot
Summary: Some vignettes about the Marauders, mainly Remus. New chapter! The Marauders have a surprise for Remus. Previously called 'The Beginning'. Please R/R!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling (or at least I wasn't the last time I checked), therefore, I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to him.   All belongs to the wonderful and the brilliant JKR!  No money is being made; just for fun and to get the plot bunnies out of my head.  

The Beginning 

Part I: The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

A pale boy with light brown hair and gray eyes maneuvered his trolley through the crowds of people in King's Cross Station.   Beside him, his mother walked, occasionally muttering to herself.   He could hear occasional phrases like "hurts someone", "hope this isn't a mistake", and "should have his chance".   

He sighed a little, but then brightened.   He was going to Hogwarts!  It had been his dream since he had first found out about it, an ideal place in his mind where he could be happy and learn to do magic and be a real wizard like his mum and dad.   

He still remembered the day he had found out, just a few weeks ago…   

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

_There was a knock at the door and when he opened it, he saw a very old man, with a long silver beard, wearing dark blue robes that had some sparkles at the hems.   _

_The man had smiled at him, his blue eyes twinkling behind his glasses.   "Ah, you must be Remus."_

_He gasped and his eyes widened.   How on earth had this man known his name?   He knew he'd never seen him before.   He found his voice again and managed to say, "Yes, sir.  Uh, would you like to come in?"   He felt he must look like a complete idiot but the man only smiled at him and came inside.   _

_His mother came in and gasped when she saw the visitor.   "Prof—Professor Dumbledore, sir!"_

_The man turned his smile to his mother, "How are you, Jane?  I had heard that you had married Rhys after you left school."  _

_His mother was still in shock, he could see, but she was smiling now and had come forward to shake the man's hand, gesturing for him to take a seat.   _

_The man turned and immediately, a large armchair came forward stopping right behind the man.   _

_His mother had busied herself, using her wand to conjure up a teapot, some teacups and a plateful of cookies and cake.   Remus watched with interest.   Visitors were definitely good things, since they meant that he could have cake and this was his favorite kind too.   _

_His mother finished pouring the tea, handing the teacup to Professor Dumbledore.   "What brings you here today, Professor?  I'm assuming it has to do with Hogwarts."  _

_Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat a little, before pulling a letter out of his robe, handing it to Remus, who took it and opened it curiously.   _

_His mother saw it and gasped, turning pale.   "That's—is that what I think it is?"_

_The letter was very brief, addressed to Mr. Remus Lupin and dated from Hogwarts.   _

_Dear Mr. Lupin, _

_I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.   The new school year will begin on September 1.   The Hogwarts Express will be leaving King's Cross Station, Platform 9 ¾ at 11 a.m.  _

_Enclosed is a list of required books and equipment.  _

_I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts._

_Yours sincerely, _

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster_

_And at that moment, his entire world changed.   Hogwarts!   _

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

On the train, Remus found a compartment that was empty, except for one other boy, a plump pale boy who appeared to be sleeping.   With a small, happy sigh, Remus sat down, closing his eyes, thinking about Hogwarts as he had been doing constantly since the moment of Professor Dumbledore's visit.   

The quiet in the compartment was broken rudely when the door opened to admit a tall boy with messy black hair and glasses, running while laughing over his shoulder at another black-haired boy who was chasing after him, yelling "Come back here, you thieving git!   I'll get you for this one, Potter!!"

The boy called Potter only laughed harder and would've continued to run, if a strap from Remus's bag hadn't gotten in his way.   He tripped, falling flat.    

In a moment, Remus was helping him up.   "Are you okay?"

The boy laughed as he got up.   "All except my pride."

The boy who'd been chasing after him caught up at this point.   He grabbed a little packet on the floor that had flown out of the other boy's hand when  he'd fallen, with a triumphant "Ha!  Got it!   And _you_ are going to pay for that one, Potter."

The other boy only grinned.   "You're welcome to try."

All of a sudden, he seemed to remember Remus, who had been looking between them with interest and not a little amusement and some envy at the obvious friendship between them.   

The boy with glasses turned to Remus, sticking out his hand with a friendly smile.   "Hi, I'm James Potter and this mannerless idiot is Sirius Black."   Remus shook his hand, grinning back, "I'm Remus Lupin" and with that one exchange of grins, the three boys became fast friends.   


	2. Secret Revealed

Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling and I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter, except in my wildest fantasies.   

Part 2: Secret Revealed, or Never Underestimate Your Friends

James frowned at the window.   Remus was gone to some mystery place, having disappeared again after dinner that day, this time without even trying to use the increasingly flimsy excuse of his mum or his grandmother being sick.    Peter had finally fallen asleep.   He glanced over at Sirius's bed and saw that Sirius was still awake.

"Hey," James whispered over, "Why're you still up?"   

Sirius sat up with a sigh.   "I was wondering where Remus disappeared to, actually." 

James grinned a little.  "You and me both, eh?"  He sighed, growing serious.   "I think it's time we face it and just make him tell us."

James turned his head to stare out the window as he continued.   "I don't' really want to confront him.   I figure he must have a good reason for it but still, it's ridiculous.   And his reasons are getting ridiculous.   I mean, what could be so bad…"  James broke off as he frowned suddenly at something outside the window.   "Sirius," he asked hesitantly, "When was the last time Remus went away?"

Sirius was silent before answering, "Er, must've been the middle of last month or so, I think…  Oh yeah, I remember, it was the 12th actually.   We were planning to enchant Snape's robes to make them pink, remember?"

James nodded.  "I was afraid of that."  He faced Sirius.   "Tell me I'm imagining this.  Look, the moon's full tonight.  The last full moon was on the 12th, I remember because we had that long Astronomy paper due.   Remus disappears once a month – on the full moon…"  He spoke slowly, dismay creeping into his voice.   

Sirius had sat up.   His voice was hushed with dawning apprehension.   "Oh my God…"   His voice trailed off as they looked at each other in dismay.   

Silence reigned for several minutes, that was finally broken when James looked over at Sirius, a sardonic smile lifting one corner of his mouth up.  "No wonder he's always causing problems in Care of Magical Creatures."   Sirius cracked a small smile at that.   Remus was notoriously bad with animals.    Remus had always shrugged it off and managed to laugh at the teasing but James, for one, had wondered about it.  And now he knew.  

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Remus returned after dinner two days later.   James, Sirius and Peter, who'd been let in on the plan, were waiting for him and pounced on him once he arrived.   He looked exhausted and pale.  James wondered again how he could have taken so long to figure out Remus's secret.  

A discreet glance at Peter had him immediately sliding behind Remus and putting his back to the closed door while Sirius leaped up and with a forced heartiness said, "Remus, old boy, there you are!" while propelling him to sit on James's bed that was in the middle.   

Remus looked confused and wary, glancing between his three friends.  "What on earth is going on?"   

James began.   "Look, Remus, we want to know where you go every month."

Remus paled even more, something James would've sworn wasn't possible a moment before.   "I—uh, I told you guys…"   His voice trailed off as both James and Sirius gave him a look.   

Sirius took over.   "Okay, old boy.   We understand the need for secrecy if you're planning a prank or something, but honestly, this is getting ridiculous.   You never have any new pranks to propose when you get back; you're just tired.   And I refuse to believe that you have that sickly of a mum, aunt or that many grandparents that die conveniently on a monthly basis or become deathly ill."   

Remus looked ashamed at this pointed retelling of some of his most used excuses.   James, watching him, noticed the inward struggle in the expressions that passed over his face, until finally, Remus seemed to come to a decision.   

He was pale and trembling but he looked determined.   "Ok, then," he said, breathing very quickly, "I'll tell you.   I- I'm a – a—" 

James took pity on Remus's obvious pain.   If he couldn't change what his friend was, he could at least say it for him.   "You're a werewolf." James said quietly.   

Remus nodded, looking relieved, as he slumped on James's bed.   

There was a moment of silence, that was broken by Remus, finally.   "I—I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys, but I was --  was afraid…"   Yes, he was afraid, afraid of the rejection, the horror…  In his head, Remus heard again the screams, the names, all the kids who lived around his home who'd shout "Monster!" or "Man-eater" or worse, before running away as if a demon was on their heels.   But then, a demon was, as far as they were concerned.   He was the demon.   He shuddered again at the memory, and then waited for it to come.   He could just see it, his best friends looking at him in revulsion before turning their backs on him and walking out of the room.    He cringed inwardly, shutting his eyes as if that would make the rejection any less painful when it happened.   

The painful silence was finally broken by Sirius's voice.   "You were afraid?!   What, that we'd blame you or turn you out?"   

Remus nodded jerkily more out of instinct than not, opening his eyes in surprise at the question.   Then they weren't going to turn him out?

"Don't be a stupid git, Lupin.   We're not like the Malfoys, you know."   That statement from Sirius broke the chill that seemed to have fallen over the little group and Remus managed to smile, relief and happiness flooding his entire body, while James and Peter both grinned.   

"Speaking of the Malfoys, I have an idea…" Sirius continued, and in a moment, the tensions were forgotten as the mischievous spirit rose in all the boys.

Remus listened to Sirius's plan with half his mind, looking around at the familiar faces around him.   Sirius, with his brown eyes ever-glinting with mischief, hands gesturing wildly as he illustrated his plan.   James, with his perpetually messy black hair and cool gray eyes, that were shining gleefully behind his round glasses.   Peter, with his thin blond hair, nodding in agreement to every word Sirius said.   Remus smiled to himself, the secret fear and worry that had been hanging over him for so long disappearing.   They knew and they didn't care.   It was quite possibly the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.   Just not caring and still accepting him.   He had the best friends in the world, and for the first time since the day he'd been bitten, Remus felt like he was lucky.   


	3. The Birthday Surprise

Disclaimer: Same as always.  I own nothing and no one, it's all JK Rowling's.   

Part III: The Birthday Surprise, or Animagi

"Remus, what's the matter?  You haven't said a word to anyone today."  

Remus looked up, shooting James a glare.   "I'm fine!" he snapped, in a tone that belied his words.  "Just don't feel like talking is all.   Can't you all just bloody leave me alone?!"   And with that he left the Great Hall, after a last glare at his three friends who were staring at their usually mild-tempered friend in astonishment.   

After he was gone, an uncomfortable silence fell.   Peter fidgeted in his chair, looking intensely bothered.   James had flinched at Remus's biting tone, even though he knew, inside, that Remus didn't mean it, and now he was staring at his plate, idly pushing food around, having lost his appetite completely.   Sirius, too, was uncharacteristically subdued, continuing to eat distractedly, as he frowned down at his goblet.   

Peter was the first one to speak, hesitantly.  "D'you think he's really mad at us?"

Sirius suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and snort at that question.   Trust Peter to question the obvious.   "The question is not _if _he's angry, but _why _he's angry."  

James spoke up at this point.   "I think it's because of his birthday coming up this weekend."   

Sirius and Peter glanced from James to each other.  Nothing further was necessary.  

They all knew without having to say it that the full moon this month was falling on Remus's 16th birthday.   Of necessity, they had all become extremely familiar with lunar cycles.   In fact, it was something of a running joke among them that Remus was the resident Astronomy expert and it was all thanks to Remus that they were all doing well in the class.   They knew, too, that Remus tended to get irritable the week before the full moon, the wolf inside him growing stronger as it was.   He tried, of course, to keep from taking it out on his friends for something that wasn't their fault but there were times, like this last little scene, when he failed to master his irritation and snapped.   

This particular week was worse than usual because of the unlucky circumstances that combined to make this weekend not only Remus's birthday and the full moon, as if that alone wasn't bad enough, but also one of the official visits to Hogsmeade, a trip that Remus would not be able to go on because of the full moon.   

His friends knew all this and sympathized, but they also knew something else, what they had planned for Remus.

James interrupted what they were all thinking.   "I think we should show him tonight," he said decisively.  

Peter hesitated. "But – it's only Tuesday," he finished faintly.  

Sirius was nodding.   "Tonight."   He and James exchanged one of their speaking glances, the kind of look that only best friends who'd known each other for years could exchange, the kind of look that always left Peter with a sense of not belonging and a vague indefinable anger.   

Having finished lunch, the three members of the Marauders stood and left, heading for the Dungeons.   Potions was after lunch today, with the Slytherins, too, which was always a nasty experience.   Sighing and unconsciously squaring their shoulders, they headed down, not surprised to find Remus already there, pretending to find his Potions textbook fascinating.  

They sat down next to him in silence.   

Remus sighed before looking up at his friends to find that they were all looking at him.   "James, I'm sorry.  I'm just not myself this week, you know?"   

James waved a hand airily.   "Think nothing of it, Moony.   Nothing more invigorating than a good spat at lunch, especially a spat with a good friend and all."   

Remus shot James a look and James dropped the flippant air, saying seriously, "We know.  It's ok."  And Remus relaxed.

"Oh, Moony, we've got plans for tonight.  So don't even think of doing work tonight."  Sirius said this lightly enough, but his expression communicated more, especially as both James and Peter were nodding gravely, as if tonight's plans were somehow incredibly important.  

Remus opened his mouth to agree to whatever it was they were planning, but before he could, the Potions Master, Professor Grimsby, swept in.  He only allowed himself a brief nod before turning his attention to Potions.   

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

The night was clear, if a bit cold, and Remus shivered as he followed his friends out towards the Quidditch pitch.   Involuntarily he glanced up at the moon, and shivered again, but this time not with the cold.   He detested the moon sometimes.   It only brought physical pain and shame at being such a monster.    He glanced at his three friends who were leading the way, and smiled a little.   He had the best friends in the world, he thought, not for the first time, and unconsciously he straightened his shoulders, allowing himself to stare defiantly at the moon, shining in the sky like some sort of ominous warning.  He pushed the thought away from him.   

They had reached the Quidditch pitch.   

"Now, Remus, turn around, shut your eyes and don't open them or turn around until we tell you to."   

He obeyed, curiously.   His eyes closed, his other senses, enhanced as they were by the wolf in him, alert for any changes.   

He heard his three friends move away and then could hear nothing except for the usual sounds of the night.  

There was a soft noise and then he smelled something new.   Sensed something.   

His friends were gone, he didn't know where, and something had replaced them.   He sniffed again, carefully.   One was a dog, he could tell.   Then there was some other creature, a large one, he could sense, but couldn't identify what it was.   

He was puzzling out what the third creature could be when he heard Sirius's voice.  "You can turn around now, Remus."  

He turned, expecting to see his friends…  

He blinked, his jaw dropping open.   Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small voice was telling him he probably looked like a daft idiot, but he was too surprised to pay attention to it.   

He was looking at a huge black dog who was sitting up and unmistakably grinning at him in doggy fashion, a gray rat who was looking up at him, and -this was what really took his breath away- a fully-grown stag, who nearly glowed in the moonlight.   

"What --  you – I—"   He was stuttering, his mind unable to grasp what he was seeing.   Even as he tried to express a coherent thought, though, all three animals suddenly transformed, providing living proof that he wasn't imagining this.   

His friends, his _best _friends, were Animagi.   

They were grinning at his shock, looking undeniably self-satisfied at the effect of their surprise.   At any other time, he would have been annoyed at their smug expressions but tonight his surprise left him with no room for any other emotion.  

"You – you're _Animagi_!" he finally managed to get out.   

Sirius grinned even wider, looking almost manic now.  "Damn right we are!"  

James spoke up, his voice amused.  "Well, we can't stay around you as _humans_, so we decided to become animals so we can."   

Remus laughed.   "How – what – how'd you manage to pull it off?"   

Sirius smirked.  "Very coherent, there, Moony."   

Peter answered his question, looking pleased with himself for once.   "Well, it was actually James's idea, see."   

James bowed, grinning triumphantly, as Peter continued.   "He read about werewolves and realized that they're only dangers to humans, not to animals."  Remus flinched a little, imperceptibly, at the very mention of werewolves, _his_ kind, he thought with a shudder.   Not noticing, Peter went on, "So he came up with this plan.   He snuck into the Restricted Section and got all the books he could find on becoming Animagi.   We've been working on it ever since."  

James spoke up.  "We didn't tell you in case it didn't work out, since it is so complicated.   And then we decided we wanted it to be a surprise."  

Remus found his voice.   "And what a surprise.   I don't really know what to say…"  

"Thanks, guys.   You are amazing, brilliant, wonderful.   I would never have thought of this on my own and I'm in awe of your talents." 

They dissolved into laughter at Sirius's imitation of Remus's voice. 

Remus gasped with laughter, his eyes beginning to water.   "Good job sounding like me!  You almost convinced me for a minute there.  Convinced me that my mouth had gone barking mad and was saying things my brain didn't agree with."  

He calmed himself, exerting some of the self-control he'd learned out of necessity over the years.   "Thank you, James, Peter, Sirius," he said completely seriously now, looking at each of his friends in turn as he said their names.   "I really don't know how to express it, except thank you.   You have no idea what this means to me."  

All three boys shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the emotion.   

"Well, it wasn't just you, Moony, you know.   Think of it, the Marauders whose life goal is to break rules, of course we had to break the law not allowing unlicensed Animagi to be running around!  And just think of the pranks we can pull now…"   Sirius, being Sirius, broke the tension, as always, by a joke.   

Remus laughed, looking up at the moon almost defiantly as he did so.   He wouldn't be alone for his transformations anymore.   And that, he somehow knew, would make all the difference in the world.   He felt a thrill of anticipation run through him.   For the full moon, of all bloody things.   He shook his head, laughing a little.  He must be completely crazy, to be looking forward to the full moon!   Then he shrugged mentally.  Whatever, if this was being barking mad, then he had no complaints.   Loony he might be, but he was a _happy_ loony, for once.   


End file.
